Automotive sun visor extender
Provided is a sun visor extender that slips over or is attach to a standard automobile or other vehicle sun visor and is configurable to increase the length of the standard sun visor. One embodiment is constructed of a rectangular piece of material, which, when folded over, forms a tube-like shape that slips over an existing sun visor. Another embodiment is a single piece tube or multiple tubes that fit into each other and “telescope” into an extended position. Another embodiment is a “clip-on” visor extender in which a piece of material is affixed to an existing sun visor by means of one or more clips. Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is made of a single piece of material and includes one or more lips that hook around an existing sun visor to affix the extender in a variety of positions.
1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to an apparatus for protecting the eyes of a vehicle passenger or driver from the sun and, more specifically, to a portable sun visor that affixes to an existing sun visor in a passenger or commercial vehicle and is operable to extend the length of the existing visor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Certainly, the invention of the sun visor improved the comfort of automobiles and trucks for both passengers and drivers. When the sun is low enough in the sky to shine in a driver's eyes, driving can become dangerous due to limited visibility. In this situation, a typical sun visor is lowered and/or swung into place so that the visor blocks the incoming rays of the sun. However, the standard sun visor is often too short to block the sun at certain angles, e.g. central and very lateral angles, causing the driver or passenger who is using the visor either to look into the sun or shift the driving position so that the sun is blocked.
Some vehicle manufacturers have addressed this problem by installing an “internal” sun visor extender that fits in a slot in the visor and slides out of the slot, effectively increasing the length of the visor. However, there are problems with this approach. First, a visor must be manufactured with this option, increasing the cost of the visor. Also, since an internal visor extender is stored inside the visor, the extender must be narrower than the visor itself. The narrowness of the internal extender means that it can not provide the same angular protection as the external portion of the sun visor. In other words, there may be a gap between the top of the interior extender and the roof of the vehicle such that sun light passes at certain angles of the sun.
SUMMARYProvided is an apparatus and method for increasing the utility of a vehicle's sun visor. An “external” sun visor extender is configured to slip over a standard sun visor and is configurable to increase the length of the standard sun visor. When a driver or passenger of the vehicle slides the extender into an extended position, the length of the existing sun visor is increased and, as a result, the driver or passenger's eyes are protected from the glare of the sun more than otherwise possible with the existing sun visor itself.
One embodiment of the external sun visor extender is constructed of a rectangular piece of material, stiff enough to support its own length when folded over into a tube-like shape. The tube-like shape is then slipped over an existing sun visor where it can be positioned into either extended or unextended positions. A first strip of material affixed to one end of the rectangular piece of material attaches to a second strip of material affixed to the other end of the rectangular piece of material. One example of materials that may be used for the first and second strip of material are the two materials that comprise Velcro™. In another example, the two strips are sticky with respect to each other. In the alternative, the rectangular piece of material can be fastened into a tube-like shape by means of buttons and corresponding button holes, without a first and second piece of material.
In this manner, the external sun visor extender is fastened into the tube-like shape, or sleeve. The rectangular piece of material, in addition to being stiff enough to hold its shape, can be stretched so that the external sun visor extender can be fitted to existing sun visors of different width. In the alternative, the first strip and the second strip (or buttons and button holes) are capable of being attached to each other in different positions so that the width of the sun visor extender may be adjusted.
Another embodiment of the external sun visor extender is a simple, single piece, flattened tube, or sleeve, which is slipped over an existing sun visor. The extender may be stretchy, so that it can fit multiple size visors, or be manufactured in multiple sizes. In the alternative, there may be multiple tubes that fit into each other such that the tubes “telescope” with respect to each other, effectively increasing the length of the sun visor to which they are installed.
Another embodiment of the external sun visor is a “clip-on” visor extender in which a piece of material such as, but not limited to, cardboard or plastic is affixed to an existing sun visor by means of one or more clips. Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is made of a single piece of material such as plastic and includes two lips that hook around an existing sun visor to affix the extender in a variety of positions.
Another embodiment of a clip-on visor extender is formed of a flattened tube with one or more convex sides. The one or more convex sides serve to affix the sun visor extender to a sun visor by pinching the sun visor.
Each embodiment may also include printed information such as, but not limited to, date and time information, schedules, logos, advertisements, and warning information. The information is printed or otherwise affixed to a particular visor extender so that a driver or passenger of a vehicle can conveniently view the information. The visor extender may include a pocket so that a printed information sheet can be slipped into the pocket, thereby enabling a user to replace one set of information with another. The pocket may include a clear plastic window so that the information sheet is protected from the elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURESThe invention can be better understood with reference to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
Although described with particular reference to a automotive sun visor, the sun visor extender of the present invention can be implemented in any vehicle in which it is desirable to shield a driver or passenger's eyes from the sun at particular angles. In addition, a sun visor may be manufactured according to the disclosed principles such that the claimed subject matter is not an “add-on” product but is incorporated into a sun visor.
A pivot point 103 attached to main body 101 enables visor 100 to be rotated around an edge 109 and an edge 111 and thus positioned with respect a bright source of light such as the sun or oncoming headlights so that visor 100 protects the eyes of a vehicle's passenger or driver. Pivot point 103 is typically attached to the inside of the roof of a vehicle (not shown). Those with experience with automobiles and/or other vehicles should be familiar with the operation of a typical sun visor and probably visor 100 as well.
In an alternative embodiment, visor extender 200 may be build as a tube such that different sizes are manufactured for different size, existing visors or manufactured of a stretchy material so that “one size fits all.”
A strip of adhesive material 207 is affixed to interior surface A of main body 205 and a strip of adhesive material 209 is affixed to exterior surface B of main body 205. Strips 207 and 209 can be any materials that are capable of sticking to each other, such as the two types of material that make up Velcro®, patented by George de Mestral in 1955. In one embodiment, strips 207 and 209 may both be a type of glue that sticks to itself and can be repeatably suck and unstuck. In another embodiment, strips 207 and 209 may be able to be attached to each other only once so that once a user has folded and thus “sized” visor extender 200 to a particular vehicle, extender simply slides on and off visor 201. Strips 207 and 209 may even represent a series of buttons and button holes. One with skill in the art should recognize the existence of several methods by which the two sides of main body 205 can be affixed to each other.
By folding main body 205 over so that strip 209 sticks to strip 207, a tube is formed, with side A on the inside and side B on the outside. In this embodiment, strip 207 has a width 211, which is larger than a width 217 of strip 209. Because strip 207 is wider than strip 209, strip 209 can be placed at various positions with respect to strip 207, thus providing a variable width 223 for use with different, existing sun visors of different widths and shapes. By varying the width of visor extender 201, a user can modify the grip visor extender 200 exerts on visor 201 when in installed position 250.
Like visor 101 (
Section 309 is slightly wider than section 307 and section 311 is slightly wider than section 309. In both cases, the wider section 309 or 311 slides over the more narrow section 307 or 309, respectively, with enough friction or compression to be held in either the retracted position 300 or the extended position 350. In retracted position 300, the effective increase in length of visor 201 is relatively small or nonexistent. In extended position 350, the effective increase in length of visor 201 is equal the sum of the individual lengths of sections 307, 309 and 311, minus an amount necessary to enable the sections 309 and 311 to grip sections 307 and 309, respectively, and for section 307 to grip visor 201.
Section 311 of visor extender 305 includes information 313 pertaining to a local sports team's schedule. Many types of information can be displayed on visor extender 305 such as, but not limited to time and date information, logos, advertisements and warning information. Although not shown in
In an alternative embodiment, information is displayed in a pocket (not shown) incorporated into visor extender 305 such that a printed information sheet may be slipped into and out of the pocket. In this manner, a user of visor extender 305 can replace one set of information with another set. In addition, the pocket may include a clear window through which an installed sheet of information is viewed, thus protecting the sheet from the elements.
Like visor extender 200, each of sections 307, 309 and 311 may be a one-piece tube, manufactured in different sizes to fit different size existing visors or, in the alternative, manufactured like visor extender 200 so that “one size fits all.”
Visor extender 401 also includes a printed advertisement 409, specifically the phrase “KIP'S BBQ.” As explained above in conjunction with
In back position 550, two lips 503 and 505 of clip-on extender 501 are visible. Lip 503 folds over edge 215 of visor 201 and lip 505 folds over an edge 515 of visor 201. Lips 503 and 505 serve to hold extender 501 to visor 201. Although in
While various embodiments of the application have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A sun visor extender, comprising:
- a piece of material;
- a first fastener strip affixed to a first end of the piece of material; and
- a second fastener strip affixed to a second end of the piece of material, opposite the first end and on the opposite side of the piece of material as the first end;
- wherein the first fastener strip and the second fastener strip are operable to attach to each other such that the piece of material is formed into a flattened tube and;
- wherein the tube is operable to slide over an existing sun visor such that in an extended position a portion of the tube is operable to grip the existing sun visor, thereby increasing the effective length of the existing sun visor by a length equal to a potion of tube not gripping the existing sun visor.
2. The sun visor extender of claim 1, further comprising information, unrelated to the sun visor extender, printed upon the piece of material such that the information is viewable when the sun visor extender is affixed to the sun visor.
3. The sun visor extender of claim 1, further comprising a pocket for displaying information such that the information is viewable when the sun visor extender is affixed to the sun visor.
4. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is sufficiently stretchy to grip at multiple positions in a sun visor of variable width and sufficiently firm to support itself in the portion of tube not gripping the existing sun visor.
5. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is Lycra Spandex.
6. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is neoprene.
7. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is paper product.
8. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the piece of material is plastic.
9. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the first fastener strip is a Vecro-type loop material and the second fastener strip is a Vecro-type fastener material.
10. The sun visor extender of claim 1, wherein the first fastener strip is wider that the second fastener strip so that by positioning the first strip against the second strip the height of the tube is adjusted based upon where the first fastener strip is positioned with respect to the second fastener strip.
11. A sun visor extender, comprising:
- one or more flattened tubes, wherein, in an extended position,
- a portion of a first flattened tube of the one or more tubes grips a sun visor and a remaining portion of the first tube serves to increase the effective length of the sun visor by a length equal to a portion of tube not gripping the existing sun visor; and
- a portion of each successive flattened tube of the one or more tubes, if there are successive tubes, grips a corresponding previous tube of the one or more tubes such that a remaining portion of each successive tube serves to increase the effective length of the sun visor by a length equal to a portion of each successive tube not gripping each corresponding previous tube.
12. The sun visor extender of claim 11, further comprising information, unrelated to the sun visor extender, printed upon one or more of the one or more tubes such that the information is viewable when the sun visor extender is affixed to the sun visor.
13. The sun visor extender of claim 11, wherein the one or more tubes are a paper product.
14. The sun visor extender of claim 11, wherein the one or more tubes are plastic.
15. The sun visor extender of claim 11 wherein the one or more tubes are neoprene.
16. The sun visor extender of claim 15, wherein the neoprene is sufficiently stretchy to grip the sun visor at multiple positions along the sun visor regardless of variations in the width of the sun visor and sufficiently firm to support itself in the portion of the sun visor extender not gripping the sun visor.
17. The sun visor extender of claim 16, wherein the gripping action is caused by a closeness of a fit between the first tube and the sun visor and, if there are successive tubes, a closeness of fit between each successive tube and a corresponding previous tube.
18. The sun visor extender of claim 11, wherein, in a stored position, the one or more tubes collapse into each other and the sun visor such that the effective length of the sun visor is not extended.
19. A sun visor extender, comprising:
- a piece of material; and
- one or more clips operable to attach the piece of material to an existing sun visor such that the effective length of the sun visor is increased by a portion of the piece of material that does not overlap the sun visor.
20. The sun visor extender of claim 19, further comprising information, unrelated to the sun visor extender, affixed to the piece of material such that the information is viewable when the sun visor extender is affixed to the sun visor.
21. The sun visor extender of claim 19, wherein the piece of material is a paper product.
22. The sun visor extender of claim 19, wherein the piece of material is plastic.
23. The sun visor extender of claim 19, wherein, in a stored position, the entire piece of material overlaps the sun visor.
24. A sun visor extender, comprising;
- a piece of material;
- a lip along an edge of the piece of material, wherein
- the lip is operable to hook over an edge of a sun visor and thereby affix the material to the sun visor such that the effective length of the sun visor is increased by a portion of the piece of material that does not overlap the sun visor.
25. The sun visor extender of claim 24, further comprising a second parallel lip along a second edge of the piece of material, wherein the second lip is operable to hook over a parallel lip of the sun visor.
26. The sun visor extender of claim 24, further comprising information, unrelated to the sun visor extender, printed upon the sun visor extender such that the information is viewable when the sun visor extender is affixed to the sun visor.
27. The sun visor extender of claim 24, wherein the sun visor extender is plastic.
28. The sun visor extender of claim 24 wherein the sun visor extender is a paper product.
29. The sun visor extender of claim 24, wherein the lip extends the length of the edge of the sun visor extender.
30. The sun visor extender of claim 24, wherein the lip only extends a portion of the length of the edge of the sun visor extender.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 28, 2003
Publication Date: Mar 3, 2005
Inventors: Kip Virts (Elk Grove, CA), Mark Virts (Austin, TX)
Application Number: 10/651,172